How Lucky Are You Really?
by animegirl1776
Summary: Kotetsu is the most unlucky person Barnaby Brooks Jr. has ever known, only the idiot insists that he's the luckiest person alive.


"_Welcome to another exciting episode of Hero TV! Today our heroes are fighting against time as a fire has broken out in a downtown apartment building. Fans are still getting over the excitement of our favorite duo's return. Of course I'm talking about Tiger and Barnaby!_

_Oh ho! Look down there folks. Blue Rose and Sky High are using their NEXT powers to help the fire fighters contain the fire to the floors it had already affected and help keep the other Heroes safe._

_Fire Emblem is using his fire based NEXT to insulate himself and the citizens he is saving from the fire. _

_Rock Bison is running in with his invulnerability powers while Origami and Dragon Kid were ushering those still able to run out on their own two feet into the safe areas, but where is Wild Tiger and Barnaby?"_

Inside the building Barnaby was using his Hundred Power to quickly carry as many people out as he could. Wild Tiger was also carrying people out, but since his minute of Hundred Power had already expired he was using only his physical strength and stamina to save the people.

Together the Heroes had evacuated over three quarters of the people in the apartment building when suddenly the foundation shook. Origami and Dragon Kid were the first to notice and shouted to the others as the Heroes dragged people out.

"_Folks it looks like things are getting a little dicey inside the building. We haven't seen either of the Apollon heroes except when they dropped off citizens outside the building. Will the other heroes be able to inform them of this new development in time?"_

Fire Emblem and Rock Bison quickly signaled to Barnaby who was farther into the building. Barnaby handed over the people he had been carrying and frantically, but carefully made his way back to the last place he had seen his partner.

Wild Tiger was in the middle of coaxing out a young boy. The child was refusing to leave without his puppy and the poor dog was cowering behind a burning dresser. Out of sheer desperation Wild Tiger had hauled the dresser away from the wall and captured the puppy before shoving it into the child's hands and picking him up.

At about the same time as he saw his partner running towards him he heard the voice of another child, this time a little girl. Before Barnaby could even utter a word Kotetsu had shoved the boy into his arms and taken off back down the hallway.

"Tiger we have to get out. The building is collapsing," the younger man shouted.

"Don't worry about it Bunny. I'll be out as soon as I get this last person out."

"Don't be stupid. You're already out of power. Take the boy and let me…"

But his partner was already rushing down the hall and could no longer hear his blonde partner. Sighing in defeat Barnaby headed to the front door as fast as he could. Once he had handed the boy off to Rock Bison he turned to go back into the building.

As the pink armor made it to the door the foundations gave a heave and the former King of Heroes was thrown into the air and back towards the others. When the dust cleared, where the front doors had stood was now only a heaping pile of rubble.

Blue Rose called out, "Did everybody make it out."

"Tiger-san was still inside," Origami replied worriedly.

Rick Bison sighed into the comm system. "That idiot."

"Honestly, when will that man realize that he has limits," Fire emblem sighed.

"Probably when pigs fly. That's what makes him such a great hero though," Dragon Kid replied.

"Right now all I'd like is for him to think about himself for three minutes." Barnaby had regained his feet and was assessing the building for different entrance strategies. He knew that Kotetsu's power had quite a while before he could activate it again and he was worried that his partner was pulling another stupid stunt in the name of saving people.

"_It looks like all of the heroes have made it out safely. But what's this? Wild Tiger seems to be still inside."_

The apartment building gave one more groan and started to fold in on itself. Despite his calm demeanor Barnaby was starting to panic. Kotetsu and Barnaby had many a fight about the older hero's reckless disregard for his own safety. Barnaby knew that the veteran would never willingly give up on being a hero, but that didn't stop his younger partner from fretting.

Every time Wild Tiger got himself into a pinch Barnaby Brooks Jr. got flashbacks to the fight with H-01 when his partner had almost died. After all, the young hero had lost he wasn't sure he could stand to lose the person he was closest to.

Just as the announcer called, "_Is Wild Tiger trapped inside the collapsed building?_" a pile of rubble towards the side of the building shifted. Rising shakily from the mass Wild Tiger's scuffed and battered suit came into view. He was hunched over a young girl that seemed to be around three or four. Her mother screamed when she saw them and tried to run to her daughter. Two rescue worker held her back as Sky High flew over the rubble and picked up Wild Tiger and the girl.

Setting the two by the emergency vehicles the current King of Heroes landed in front of the veteran. Gently he pried the girl from Wild Tiger's trembling hands before he helped the hero over to his partner. Barnaby caught Wild Tiger before he could try to shrug off the help and guided him to their transport to get the suit off. From outside the two heard the sounds of the final announcement of the episode, "_Wild Tiger saves the last citizen and it seems that there are no casualties of this nefarious fire! See you next time on Hero TV!_"

After Kotetsu had his suit off and his mask on Barnaby insisted, "We are getting you medical attention for those injuries."

"Aw but Bunny, it's not that big of a deal."

"You are currently limping with your left leg and there is blood running down your arm. There is no possible way your injuries aren't a big deal. Stop being a baby and be thankful you were able to get out of that disaster with only what you have."

"It's really not that bad. I was lucky that I was almost out when the building collapsed and the doorframe came down towards us instead of away so most of the rubble fell behind us."

"Regardless of how lucky or unlucky you were being about three seconds too late to get out, you are still going out there and getting checked out. Lloyds and Ben will be upset if you're out on injury leave again."

Bowing his head the older hero meekly followed his partner to the ambulance. He didn't really care what Lloyds thought because that man was all about the money he could make off the heroes. Ben was an entirely different matter though. The man had always cared about Kotetsu as a person, not just a hero, and he worried when the man was too reckless.

Predictably the EMTs wanted to take Kotetsu to the hospital for x-rays just to be sure that they didn't miss any broken bones. Kotetsu was laying on the gurney pouting when the doors were closed. Barnaby had decided to ride with his partner to make sure the brunette behaved.

"Why are you always so unlucky Tiger?" Barnaby asked, careful to use his partner's hero name since Kotetsu insisted that his real identity needed to be separate from his hero identity.

"I don't know Bunny, I'd say I was pretty lucky myself. I had just glimpsed the side entrance when I felt the floor shake. If I hadn't seen that door I really could have been trapped."

"How can you say that? If you were really lucky you would have made it out the door before the building collapsed and you wouldn't even have these injuries."

"Well Bunny I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on one more thing then. I think I'm pretty lucky to be able to live my dream and keep my promise to my wife every day. I also have a prickly partner to help me out while I'm doing it too, keeps it interesting. Plus we got everyone out in time too. Maybe the bad stuff is to balance out all the good stuff that I have. Can't be too greedy Bunny, or you're just asking for it."

Shaking his head the blonde huffed in exasperation. "Your wife you loved so dearly died and your dream job puts you at risk every day. How can you feel anything but unlucky?"

"Mah, I just think you need to look closer at what you have and less at what you lost. I had Tomoe for a little while, and I'll have my dream job for a while longer too. It's better than never having those things. I'm glad I am where I am today. Remember that Bunny, if something ever happens, I'm happy that I can help even if it's just right now."

"You're such an idiot old man."

"Hey that's not nice. You shouldn't call me that when I'm injured Bunny."

"Maybe if you weren't injured so often I wouldn't have to."

The EMTs listened to the two bicker all the way to the hospital and when Wild Tiger was taken back to be examined Barnaby Brooks Jr. sat in the waiting room for his partner.

When Wild Tiger was released with twelve stiches and a brace for his ankle the young hero picked up the veteran princess style and walked out to a taxi he had called to take them back to the veteran's house with the older of the duo sputtering in indignation all the way to the car.

_Author's Note: So I was working on this for a fan fiction contest and after I submitted it I wanted to revamp and correct. I ended up getting second place in the contest so I'm happy. Thanks to everyone who supported me by rating, reviewing, or favoriting stories. I couldn't have done it without you guys. Special thanks also to all of my betas and friends who read my stories just to make sure I didn't grammar fail too badly._


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